Tomato Variety Trial
Safford Agricultural Center, 1998
L.J. Clark, R. Walser and E.W. Carpenter
Abstract
Four slicing and two Roma-type tomato varieties were grown in a replicated
small plot trial on the Safford Agricultural Center in 1998. Varieties were picked
regularly during the growing season with total tonnage picked being tabulated
and plot weights by variety shown graphically against time during the season.
Balboa variety of slicing tomato and Toro variety of Roma-type tomato were the
highest yielding varieties with yields of 69 and 76 tons per acre respectively.
Introduction
Tomatoes have been grown by homeowners and for roadside stands for years in Graham County. As more area farmers
are looking for crops to provide an alternative from the cotton monoculture, it was decided to look at different varieties
of slicing and Roma-type tomatoes to find which ones would do best under our salty soil and arid growing conditions.
This trial is one of many vegetable crop variety studies conducted at the Safford Agricultural Center in 1998.
Materials and Methods
This variety trial was performed on the Safford Agricultural Center at an elevation of 2954 feet above sea level.
Seedlings of the four slicing varieties and the two Roma-type tomatoes were transplanted in replicated small plot trials.
Cultural practices and inputs are listed below in the crop history.
Crop History:
Soil type: Pima clay loam variant
Previous crop: Vegetables
Experimental design: Randomized complete block with 4 replications
Planting date: Transplanted - 3 April 1998
Plant spacings: 18 inches between plants on 36 inch beds
(Plant population 9680 plants/acre)
Fertilizer: 400 pounds/ac soil sulfur and 244 pounds/ac 16-20-0 applied 3/13, 100 pounds/ac urea applied 5/28
Irrigation: Watered up, furrow irrigated 9 times (ca. 36 inches of water)
Herbicide: None
Insecticide: None
Harvests: 2 July, 8 July and 13 July
Heat units (50/86EF):
Harvests were done manually and fruit was weighed, counted and rated for cracking. Per acre yields were determined by
multiplying average plant yields by 9680.
This is a part of the University of Arizona College of Agriculture 1999 Vegetable Report, index at
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/crops/az1143/
Results and Discussions
The top part of Table 1 contains the yield and fruiting characteristics for the slicing tomato varieties. Balboa appeared to
produce more fruit per plant and tons per acre than the rest of the varieties in that class, even though variability in
weights between replicates was large enough that no statistical differences were seen. Fruit weight was very similar
between the four slicing varieties, but there were some differences in cracking ratings. Mountain Fresh had the least
cracking and Springfield cracked the most.
Figure 1 shows how each slicing variety performed throughout the growing season. Balboa and Springfield were the
strongest early season producers but dropped off quickly in the middle of August and then had slow and spotty
recoveries in the Fall. Mountain Fresh and Royal Flush produced just the opposite with slower early season production
but a strong finish in the Fall. It might be well for a producer to have varieties of both types to assure strong picking
both early season and late. Unfortunately, none of the varieties produced well from the middle of August to the middle
of September.
The bottom part of Table 1 contains the yield and fruiting characteristics for the Roma-type varieties. Similar to the
slicing varieties, Toro produced much more fruit than Tigre, but the differences were not statistically significant. The
Roma-type fruit were much smaller than the slicing tomatoes, but Toro produced many more of them per plant, hence
the yield was higher. The Roma-type fruit was much firmer and cracking was not a problem.
Figure 2 shows the Roma-type tomato performance throughout the season. Toro performed better in early season as
well as late season than Tigre. It is interesting to note that the Roma-types started producing quicker in the Fall than did
the slicing type of tomatoes.
Many plants were lost due to curly-top virus during the season but these losses are not reflected in the final yields.
Curly-top resistant lines will be procured for studies in 1999.
Table 1. Yield and related agronomic data from slicing and roma-type tomato varieties grown on the Safford
Agricultural Center, 1998.
Variety
Yield
(Tons/acre)
Fruit Wt
(lbs/fruit)
Fruit per plant
Wt of fruit per
plant
Fruit cracking
rating2
Balboa
68.9 a1
0.31 a
46.4 a
14.2 a
3
Mountain Fresh
59.3 a
0.32 a
38.7 a
12.3 a
4
Springfield
58.4 a
0.32 a
37.9 a
12.1 a
2
Royal Flush
53.8 a
0.30 a
37.4 a
11.1 a
3
Average
60.1
0.31
40.1
12.4 a
3
LSD(05)
20.5
0.03
12.3
4.2
--
CV(%)
21.3
6.20
19.2
21.4
--
Toro
75.5
0.18 a
87.3 a
15.6 a
4
Tigre
40.7
0.16 a
54.1 a
8.4 a
4
Average
58.1
0.17
70.7
12.0
4
LSD(05)
--
0.06
39.0
11.2
--
CV(%)
--
17.10
24.5
41.8
--
Slicing tomatoes
Roma-type tomatoes
1. Numbers followed by the same letter, within a column, are not significantly different at the 95% level of confidence
using Duncan=s Multiple Range test.
2. Fruit cracking ratings: 1= bad, 4 = good
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
7/17
8/3
8/17
8/31
9/22
Dates of Harvest
Tigre
10/6
10/19
11/2
Toro
Figure 2. Relative yields of Roma-type tomato varieties by dates of picking, grown on the
Safford Agricultural Center, 1998.